Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!columbia!rutgers!sri-spam!sri-unix!hplabs!pyramid!ucat!pesnta!peora!ucf-cs!usfvax2!jc3b21!boake2!scott From: scott@boake2.UUCP (Scott Boake) Newsgroups: net.unix,net.unix-wizards,misc.misc Subject: Unix box for $10 a month! Is this a scam? Message-ID: <230@boake2.UUCP> Date: Wed, 15-Oct-86 20:00:39 EDT Article-I.D.: boake2.230 Posted: Wed Oct 15 20:00:39 1986 Date-Received: Thu, 16-Oct-86 22:29:53 EDT Organization: Small Systems Consulting Lines: 154 Keywords: cheap unix box Xref: mnetor net.unix:5885 net.unix-wizards:8269 misc.misc:6 I recently received the following in the mail. I have NO connection with any of the people affiliated with this group. I don't know any more about it that I have in this letter. I'm just posting it to see what comments other USENETers have about it. ---------------------COPY OF A LETTER RECEIVED VIA US MAIL--------------------- TO ALL CONCERNED: With the letter comes an invitation to join the first computer group of its kind. Introducing a national user's group, committed to bringing you what no other group as offered before. The Mega-Users' Group is currently campaigning to increase its membership to 100,000. With this kind of unity will come a very special buying power - a power that will entitle you, as a member, to the following: one of the most powerful openframe computer systems available, with a 68020 CPU card or a 80386 CPU card - a powerful, multi-user system, supporting UNIX or XENIX on your choice of Multibus or S-100. Your membership fee of $10 per month covers the entire system as follows: - one Motorola 68020 CPU or Intel 80386 CPU, running at 12 Mhz - one megabye of D-RAM expandable to 8 meg. on the card - one floppy disk contoller capable of controlling 4 8" drives and 4 5 1/4" drives - one I/O card with 8 serial ports and 2 parallel - one 300-watt power supply - one 5 1/4" floppy drive and one 8" floppy drive - for S-100 users: choice of 10 or 20 slot backplane - for Multibus users: choice of 4 or 11 slot backplane These systems will be complete and ready to run. Your choice of desktop or rack-mount enclosure. The above is simply your basic system, yours for having the foresight to join the Mega-Users' Group now, before membership is closed at the 100,000 mark. That's right - this offer is limited to the first 100,000 members to join. The only membership requirement is that you remain a member through the time your system is shipped to you. Our analysts project that we will reach our base of 100,000 members in 4-6 months. But once you've received your system, it's likely that you will choose to remain a member indefinitely, as each month will bring an additional piece of hardware or a software kit. Offerings such as: additional memory cards, color graphics cards, clock cards - and much more. All included in your $10/month membership fee. While you await shipment of your system, The Mega-Users' Group will send you its monthly newsletter. Each issue will update you on the membership drive. Also included will be software listings - over 300,000 public domain software titles will be available to you, as a member, at no charge. Our in-house engineers are working on a program that will emulate CP/M and MS-DOS at blinding speeds - and be graphic compatible, also. Soon, our members will be able to tie into a mainframe computer, complete with one hundred phone lines. It will house the majority of our public-domain software, and allow our members a way to interact with each other, as there is not connect fee, hourly fee, or limitation on connect time. Users can stay on as long as they wish - for free. The Mega-Users' Group is an idea whose time has come. With your support, we intend to revolutionize the computer-buying industry. Power in numbers will allow us to send you a Multibus or S-100 system at no real cost to you: your $10 monthly membership fee is all-inclusive. Shock-waves have begun to travel throughout the industry regarding this ooffer. The reality is that computer boards can be produced cheaply in quantity. Until now, no one has passed the savings on to you, the user. We have invested over $20,000 in the initial phase, just to bring this concept to you now. We urge you to join the Mega-Users' Group today. Those who join first will take early shipment of their systems - it is a first-come, first-served basis. Remember: the sooner your membership reaches the 100,000 mark, the better for you. Therefore, we encourage you to circulate news of the Mega-Users' Group to all those interested in owning an S-100 or Multibus system for a small monthly fee. You may distribute your own copies of this letter and the enrollment form, for purposes of building the membership of the Mega-Users' Group to 100,000. Or contact us for additional copies. The time for this idea is now. Call us directly for more details. But please, don't hesitate. We'd hate to inform you that our membership had reached 100,000 without you. We encourage all users' group presidents and other interested parties to call us at (203) 634 - 4593, 9AM to 5PM Eastern, Monday thru Friday. **Motorola is a trademark of Motorola Semi-conductor Products, Inc. **Intel is a trademark of Intel Corp. **Unix is a trademark of Bell Laboratories ENROLLMENT FORM Yes - I want to join the Mega-Users' Group. Enclosed please find my check of money order in the amount of $__________, for _______month(s) membership. I understand that as the membership reaches 100,000, I will receive my choice of the Multibus or S-100 system describem above. Check desired system: S-100 - please specify 10 or 20 slot backplane. __ten-slot __20-slot Check desired system: Multibus - please specity 4 or 11 slot backplane. __4-slot __11-slot Specify rack-mount or desk-top enclosure: __rack __desk- top PLEASE PRINT NAME ___________________________________ ADDRESS ________________________________ CITY,STATE,ZIP__________________________ PHONE__________________ INITIAL________________ SEND TO: The Mega-Users' Group P.O. Box 4213 Yalesville Station, CT 06492 ---------------------COPY OF A LETTER RECEIVED VIA US MAIL--------------------- As I said before, I'm not connected in anyway to this group. I would just like to get some feed back from people about this deal. If you decide to call them post a message as to what you find out. Scott Boake Small Systems Consulting (813) 544 - 8152 Suite A 4669 - 73rd Ave North ..!akgua!usfvax2!jc3b21!boake2!scott Pinellas Park, FL 33565 - or - ..!akgua!akguc!codas!peora!ucf-cs!usfvax2!jc3b21!boake2!scott